


We Can Run Forever (Forever's What's in Store)

by targaryen_melodrama



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky and Sam love each other SO MUCH, Established Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, POV Bucky Barnes, Sam!Cap, Shield Sharing besties, Steve!Cap, With a happy ending-you know how we do, ptsd mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-08 18:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15935666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/targaryen_melodrama/pseuds/targaryen_melodrama
Summary: Watching Sam loop around the block again and slowly make his way back down to the team, strong and graceful, it all seems impossible.“Baby. Sweetheart. I’m going to die someday, most likely before you. I need to know you’ll be okay when it happens. That you’ll make your way back to happy.”





	We Can Run Forever (Forever's What's in Store)

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you to the Queen of Nova Scotia for beta'ing this for me. It means more than you know <3

Bucky watches Sam fly large, lengthy circles in the clear blue sky over them, surveying what remains of the attack. Well, mostly surveying. Bucky had learned that when Sam was flying that slowly, that softly, it was mostly out of pleasure rather than out of duty.

Bucky’s grateful he hasn’t come down yet. Sam deserves a break after this morning.

It had been their second real fight. After a few months of circling around each other, a year of dating and a year of living together, it was surprising they hadn’t fought more. So Bucky had let his guard down, forgotten to tread lightly, to make sure he wasn’t doing anything that would make Sam mad, make Sam give him up. He’d forgotten. Gotten too comfortable.

_“It’s going to happen, Bucky. We can’t pretend it won’t.”_

_“Not for another three decades, at least! And we don’t know that I’ll stay like this forever, either. We don’t know shit about the serum.”_

_“It’s not just about the serum, Buck. You love to say that I’m just human一”_

_“Sam.”_

_“一so even if somehow you didn’t outlive me, it’s more likely that I die on a mission_ 一 _wait. Don’t go. Please. Don’t walk away.”_

 _“You just一you want me to just sit there while we cavalierly talk about when you_ 一 _when you_ 一”

_“Baby. Sweetheart. I’m going to die someday, most likely before you. I need to know you’ll be okay when it happens. That you’ll make your way back to happy.”_

Watching Sam loop around the block again and slowly make his way back down to the team, strong and graceful, it all seems impossible.

 _Make your way back to happy._ Bucky shakes his head.

His way to happy is already there, hovering over the team. His way to happy had _been_ there, through his PTSD and nightmares and working through what the hell his sexuality was. Had welcomed him into a loving family without thinking twice.

And it wasn’t just the strong arms and core bracing themselves for impact, not just the strong legs that had mastered the landing maneuver Bucky was watching from afar. Didn’t Sam know?

_“Are you worried? Is that it, Sam?”_

_“How could I not be? You’ll一you’ll still be young and healthy and_ 一 _anyway, you’re avoiding my point.”_

_“So are you. Who gives a shit what I look like when you’re older? I’m in this for the long haul, don’t you know?”_

_“I know_ 一”

 _“Old and grey and sick, now or later_ 一 _I don’t give a shit Sam. I don’t. You’re mine. I’m yours. I don’t care, I don’t care,_ I don’t care _, sweetheart, I don’t_ 一”

“Bucket. Bucket. Bucket. Bucket.”

“What, what, Tony, _what_?”

“Nothing, Jesus, _you’re_ the one standing frozen in the middle of Manhattan一hey, it’s like that one time I caught you and Sammy boy一”

“Shut up. Shut the fuck up. Can we go?” It sure looked like it. Steve was laughing loudly, slapping one hand on his chest and one on Sam’s shoulder. With Sam holding the shield between the two of them like that, it looked like one of those glory shots GQ had taken when they’d announced there’d be two Caps from now on.

“Yeah, but don’t forget we’re having dinner a一”

“Great. I’ll meet you at the Tower.” Bucky cuts off his ear piece, then remembers what Tony’s capable of, and takes it out of his ear completely before throwing it to the ground.

He stalks over一 _slow down, Barnes, for God’s sake_ 一to Sam and pushes Steve away.

“Jesus, Buck.”

_Calm the fuck down, Barnes. Deep breaths._

“Sorry.” Bucky breathes and turns to Steve, with his best imitation of a smile on his face. “Go away so I can talk to my boyfriend? Thanks.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “See you guys at the Tower. I can grab that for you,” he says, gesturing to Sam and the shield.

“Yes please,” Sam answers, eyes glued on Bucky. “Thanks.”

Even though Steve has joined the rest of the team behind them, Bucky needs a few more seconds for the words to come out of his mouth, and Sam beats him to the punch.

“This is about this morning, huh?”

“Yes, but not一I don’t wanna fight.” Like his body finally caught up to his brain, Bucky’s shoulders sag and he feels himself relaxing. “I don’t wanna fight you, sweetheart,” he whispers. Behind them, Bucky hears police cars and reporter vans, but he’s focused. Bucky makes himself look directly into Sam’s eyes, even though it pains him to see how upset Sam looks. “I never did. You know I can’t一no. Let me start again.” Sam grabs his hand.

“I’m not good at expressing myself. But what I meant to say this morning, what I _should’ve_ said this morning is that it hurts me to talk about you...leaving. But,” he adds, squeezing Sam’s hand to show he isn’t done, “that doesn’t mean I won’t be there when it happens. Every step of the way. Today, and tomorrow, and thirty years from now.”

“Yeah?” A tear runs down Sam’s cheek, even as he’s smiling one of the biggest smiles Bucky’s seen him smile. “Even when Black starts cracking?”

“You told me that wasn’t possible.”

“Right answer, Barnes. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry too. It’s not easy for me either, but it feels easier when I just...confront it head on. And I know you’ll be there. Never doubted it for a second.”

“Well…” The wheels are turning in Bucky’s brain before they finally settle, and all of it一all of Bucky’s anxiety and restlessness一all of it makes sense, all of a sudden. “Maybe you need a reminder.”

Sam looks confused. “A reminder?”

“Something to remind you that I’ll be there, for richer or poorer.”

“Buck,” Sam says now, his voice unsteady. “You said your military back pay had us covered.”

“It does. And if it doesn’t, I’ll still be there. In sickness and in health.”

“James Buchanan Barnes.”

“Until death do us part.” Bucky’s voice isn’t that steady either. His body moves of its own accord, and he’s suddenly on one knee, not even really thinking about it. All these movies Clint showed him must’ve taught him something.

“I’m sorry I’m doing it like this, but you have to know, sweetheart. You have to. I’m yours. You’re mine.”

“Ask the fucking question, will you, Barnes?” Sam is fully crying now, and with his bright eyes and his lip between his teeth, he looks as beautiful as ever.

“Samuel Thomas Wilson一”

“Yes.”

“Will you do me the incredible honor一”

“Bucky, _yes_.”

“Of making me your life partner一”

“I swear to God!”

“一by marrying me and making the happiest man in the world?”

Sam lunges at him and holds him so tight, Bucky thinks his heart’ll explode.

There are other reasons why it would, but still. He’s going with that one.

“Yes,” Bucky hears whispered against his ear. “Yes, yes, yes.”

“I don’t have a ring,” Bucky whispers back.

“I don’t care. I really don’t care.”

Behind them, Bucky hears the NYPD officers yelling at the reporters to back the fuck off. A little closer, he can hear his teammates cheering, and Steve swearing and sniffling. He wouldn’t move from where he is, not if they paid him, not if the doombots came back.

Bucky squeezes Sam _一_ his _future husband一_ right back. Sam doesn’t know, but he has a lifetime to convince him of what he’s known all along: Bucky doesn’t need to make his way back to happy when happy is right there, in his arms.

  
  
**End**.

**Author's Note:**

> Title and fic inspired by the songTime, by Mikky Ekko. I was minding my business working on another fic when I chose to play this song and my brain yelled at me to write, so I did.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Comments make my day, feel free to leave some :) 
> 
> I am on [Tumblr](https://targaryenmelodrama.tumblr.com) if you wanna drop by!


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